The War of Resistance Against Japan: Starting with a Calm View of Life and Death

As a result, the puppet troops in Sanjing Town were the first to panic.

The few puppet soldiers who were originally resisting from the street corner using sack fortifications, heard the shout, threw down their guns, covered their heads, and crawled into the alley.

Chida stood at the second-floor window of the town hall, looking down at the chaotic streets below.

"Commander! Let's go! If we don't leave now, we really won't be able to leave!" Yoshino Yuto rushed in, stumbling and crawling.

Chida whirled around, grabbed Yoshino by the collar, and slammed him against the wall: "Go? Where do you think you're going? The area is swarming with Eighth Route Army soldiers!"

"To Wuzhai! To Wuzhai!" Yoshino Yuto's voice trembled with urgency. "Wuzhai still has a company from Yamamoto's battalion, plus the rest of us, enough to hold the county town. Besides, Wuzhai's walls are high, and the Eighth Route Army doesn't have heavy artillery; they won't be able to take it down anytime soon!"

Chida took a deep breath, his chest heaving violently.

He let go, pushed Yoshino aside, grabbed the map on the table, and stuffed it into his pocket.

"Send the order! Everyone who can still move, abandon heavy equipment and break through with light gear! Target: Wuzhai!" Qian Tian gritted his teeth, his voice sounding like it was being squeezed out from between his teeth.

The remnants of the Japanese army began to fight and retreat.

They retreated towards the west gate.

As soon as Zhou Jindong and his men rushed into the South Gate, they saw a group of Japanese soldiers crouching low as they scurried westward into the street.

"Dongzi! There's a big fish over there!" Wang Quan covered the wound on his arm and opened fire with his Type 96 machine gun at the entrance of the alley on West Street.

The bullets hit the earthen wall with a series of thuds, sending up clouds of dust.

"Don't let them get away! Chase them!" Zhou Jindong kicked aside the broken wooden planks blocking his way and fired three shots at the figures in the distance with his pistol.

A Japanese machine gunner who was running was shot in the back and fell to the ground.

The guerrillas and the 1st Battalion of the 717th Regiment squeezed towards the west gate from both the north and south, like two pincers.

The streets were filled with Japanese and puppet troops running around, and the two sides engaged in close-quarters melee in the narrow streets.

This is no longer about tactics; it's all about courage and willpower.

A Japanese lieutenant brandished his sword and led a dozen soldiers as they charged upwards into the bullets, trying to hold off the pursuers.

"Go to hell!" Zhao Laosi roared, pulled the pin on the grenade in his hand, and threw it.

The grenade arced through the air and landed right at the lieutenant's feet.

"boom!"

With a loud bang, the lieutenant and the three soldiers next to him were thrown over by the blast wave.

The lieutenant's body was half blown apart, and the command sword in his hand flew out and stuck in the door frame next to him, still trembling slightly.

Fueled by this fierce determination, Zhou Jindong led his men to the west gate in one go.

Chida led the last 500-plus Japanese soldiers out of the west gate and glanced back at Mitsui Town behind him.

Flames soared into the sky, and shouts of battle shook the heavens.

"Commander, the Eighth Route Army is catching up!" the rearguard soldier shouted in a panic.

"Don't stop! Full speed ahead! Target: Wuzhai!" Qian Tian brandished his command sword and lashed his horse's rump with the whip.

The skinny horse, in pain, took off galloping forward.

From Sanjing Town to Wuzhai, it's all mountain roads and dirt roads.

Chida fled in a sorry state. In order to escape, they abandoned all the heavy machine guns and grenade launchers, carrying only light weapons and ammunition.

As the night wore on, snowflakes began to fall from the sky.

Chida's yellow woolen overcoat had long been torn to shreds by thorns, and his face was covered in mud and ash.

"How much further?" he asked in a hoarse voice.

"Ahead... ahead is Wuzhai." Yoshino Yuto panted, pointing to the dark outline in the distance. "Commander, we've arrived."

On the city wall of Wuzhai, beams of searchlight swept across.

"Who goes there! Stop! Or we'll shoot!" A broken Chinese voice came from the city wall; it was a Japanese sentry.

Chida reined in his horse and shouted, "It's me, Chida! Open the city gates!"

Soon, his adjutant showed his identification to the sentry at the gate.

The city gate creaked open.

Captain Yamamoto, the Japanese company commander stationed at Wuzhai, stood at the city gate and stared at the group of soldiers who looked like beggars, his jaw nearly dropping in shock.

"Captain Chida? You...you're..."

"Stop talking nonsense!" Chida dismounted, nearly falling due to his weak legs, but Yoshino caught him. "The main force of the Eighth Route Army is right behind us! Close the city gates immediately and declare martial law throughout the city! Gather all the food and water! We must hold our ground and await reinforcements!"

Captain Yamamoto dared not delay and immediately ordered his soldiers to close the city gates.

Chida entered the city, plopped down in a chair at the command post, grabbed a teapot from the table, and started chugging tea.

"puff!"

He spat out a mouthful of water.

"What kind of water is this? Why does it taste so strange?" Chida slammed the teapot on the ground.

Captain Yamamoto said with a bitter face, "Regimental Commander, the water source of Wuzhai has been sabotaged by the Eighth Route Army. It's really despicable... Please make do with this."

Chida stared blankly at the broken porcelain shards on the ground.

Why is it so hard to get a drink of clean water?

Just then, hurried footsteps came from outside the city.

Zhou Jindong led his guerrilla team to the outskirts of Wuzhai City.

By the moonlight, he looked at the high city walls and the flickering firelight on them, and frowned.

"Captain, the Japanese have entered the city, and the city gates are tightly closed," Zhao Laosi whispered, lying in the grass.

"Did you see clearly? How many people are on the city wall?" Zhou Jindong asked.

"I couldn't see very clearly, but judging from the lights, there were at least several hundred people. Also, there were many machine guns and searchlights mounted on the city walls."

Zhou Jindong sneered, "That old devil Qian Tian wants to turn Wuzhai into a second Kelan. Does he think he can survive just by entering the city?"

"Dongzi, what do we do now? Should we sneak in?" Wang Quan asked.

"Screw it! With our numbers, we'd be easy prey if we went in." Zhou Jindong slapped Wang Quan on the forehead. "Chida's scared out of his wits right now, he definitely won't dare come out. We'll just keep an eye on him outside the city and wait for the main force to arrive."

At daybreak, the main force of the 359th Brigade arrived.

Commander Wang, mounted on his horse, looked at the city walls of Wuzhai with a furrowed brow.

"Brigade Commander!" Zhou Jindong saluted.

Brigade Commander Wang nodded, pointed to the city wall, and said, "That old bastard Qian Tian ran pretty fast. How many troops are in the city now?"

"Reporting to the brigade commander, Chida brought in about five hundred remnants of his troops. Adding the original garrison of Wuzhai, the total number should be around one thousand," Zhou Jindong replied crisply.

"Is the intelligence accurate?"

"That's right. I arrested someone and interrogated them for half the night."

Brigade Commander Wang dismounted and walked to an open space.

The staff officers quickly spread out the map.

"The walls of Wuzhai are sturdy, no less so than those of Kelan. Moreover, it is a vital transportation hub, connecting Shenchi to the east, Kelan to the west, and Jingle to the south."

"If we launch a direct assault, the casualties will definitely be significant." Brigade Commander Wang tapped the location of Wuzhai with his finger. "Moreover, the Japanese troops in Yijing and Sancha could reinforce us at any time."

"Brigade Commander, how are we going to fight?" Commander Zhang of the 717th Regiment rubbed his hands together, looking impatient. "Are we just going to watch Chida recuperate inside?"